BALTIMORE: Retirement is an opportunity to acknowledge that you’ve earned the right to have more time for yourself.
For some people this is a relief but for many it is a time of nervousness or sadness.
Little is publicly discussed about mental illness in the older population.
Mood disorders such as depression are the most common type of mental health problem.
An older person may be depressed if, for more than two weeks, they have felt down most of the time, or if they have lost interest in most of their usual activities.
It is thought that between 10 and 15% of older people experience depression and about 10% experience problems with anxiety.
Rates of depression amongst people living in residential aged-care facilities are believed to be much higher, at around 35%…